About the President

Donna Orem

President
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

Donna Orem was named president of NAIS in November 2016.

Orem served as NAIS’s chief operating officer for 11 years before becoming president. In that capacity, she directed the organization’s strategic planning and provided vision and leadership for new initiatives, products, and services. She also oversaw human resources and talent management. Orem joined NAIS in 1998 as the vice president for educational leadership and later became the vice president for strategic initiatives and research.

Prior to joining NAIS, she was the vice president for products and services development at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). In her 15 years at CASE, she also served as the vice president for independent schools. In that role, she managed all services for the independent school advancement community, including the annual CASE/NAIS Conference. Earlier in her career, she served as associate director for the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Orem speaks frequently about leadership, governance, trends in independent education, and workforce development. She is the author of numerous book chapters and articles. Most recently, she co-authored the NAIS Trustee Handbook, 10th edition, published in September 2015.

She holds a B.A. in English from St. Joseph’s University (Pennsylvania) and attended graduate school at the University of Maryland School of Journalism.

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